Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 19
Nārāyaṇa’s Impartiality, Absorption in Kṛṣṇa, and the Jaya–Vijaya Descent
Prelude to Prahlāda’s History
शपतोरसकृद्विष्णुं यद्ब्रह्म परमव्ययम् । श्वित्रो न जातो जिह्वायां नान्धं विविशतुस्तम: ॥ १९ ॥
śapator asakṛd viṣṇuṁ yad brahma param avyayam śvitro na jāto jihvāyāṁ nāndhaṁ viviśatus tamaḥ
Obwohl Śiśupāla und Dantavakra den Herrn Viṣṇu (Kṛṣṇa), den höchsten, unvergänglichen Brahman, immer wieder lästerten, blieben sie gesund. Ihre Zungen wurden nicht von weißem Aussatz befallen, noch gerieten sie in die tiefste Höllenfinsternis — darüber sind wir höchst erstaunt.
Kṛṣṇa is described by Arjuna in Bhagavad-gītā (10.12) as follows: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. “You are the Supreme Brahman, the supreme abode and purifier.” Herein this is confirmed. Viṣṇuṁ yad brahma param avyayam . The Supreme Viṣṇu is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the cause of Viṣṇu, not vice versa. Similarly, Brahman is not the cause of Kṛṣṇa; Kṛṣṇa is the cause of Brahman. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the Parabrahman ( yad brahma param avyayam ).
FAQs
This verse states that even when people repeatedly curse Viṣṇu, He remains the supreme imperishable Brahman, and the expected karmic retaliation (like disease of the tongue or blindness) did not manifest here—highlighting His transcendence and extraordinary forbearance in this episode.
To emphasize the astonishing tolerance of the Lord in the narrative context—despite grievous speech against Viṣṇu, immediate visible punishment did not occur, underscoring that God is not compelled by insult and that His actions unfold according to a higher purpose.
Guard one’s speech about the Divine and devotees, and cultivate humility—because the Lord’s patience is not a license for irreverence; rather, it is an invitation to reform, seek forgiveness, and deepen bhakti.